Thirty Journalists and security officials in Lagos, Nigeria, recently participated in a two-day training programme focused on enhancing digital rights in Nigeria.
The event, themed "E-Rights: Enhancing Digital Rights in Nigeria," was organized by Advocats Sans Frontieres France.
In his goodwill message, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Adeleye Ajayi who commended the organiser for putting such event together, described the gesture as a rare opportunity and urged attendees to make the best use of the training to harness their skills.
"Today, we gather here not only to learn but to reinforce the critical role that digital rights play in the contemporary landscape of technology, communication and security" he said.
According to Ajayi, the digital age has brought unprecedented opportunities for progress, but with these opportunities come complex challenges, particularly in the realms of privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information.
Ajayi urged professionals working in fields that deal with sensitive data and crucial information flow, to understand and uphold these rights in the digital sphere.
He noted that for both security agencies and journalists, the digital space is a double-edged sword. While it offers powerful tools for enhancing communication, investigation, and surveillance, it also presents serious risks regarding civil liberties, privacy, and security.
"As security agencies, you are tasked with protecting the state, ensuring public safety and maintaining national security. However, these duties must be balanced with the protection of the privacy and digital rights of citizens".
"Journalists, on the other hand, hold the responsibility of ensuring transparency, accountability and the free flow of information. Both of these roles are crucial in upholding democracy and ensuring that individuals' rights are not trampled upon." the NUJ Chairman added.
Ajayi urged professionals working with sensitive data to understand and uphold digital rights, highlighting the double-edged nature of the digital space.
For security agencies, this means balancing national security with protecting citizens' digital rights. Journalists, on the other hand, must ensure transparency, accountability, and the free flow of information while upholding ethics and professionalism.
Industry experts, including Dr. Folashade Adegbite and Dr. Abiodun Odusote,of the faculty of Law, University of Lagos(UNILAG), led discussions on digital rights, digital citizenship, and legal frameworks while Key recommendations from the training include recognizing data protection as a human right, incorporating journalistic expectations into laws and regulations, and consolidating surveillance laws.
Participants were arranged into groups to identify how to navigate e-Rights breaches.
It was agreed that Journalists should be careful when trying to generate traffic to their website and not to forget the ethics of the profession.
They were also urged to be careful in reporting matters that threaten national security and undermine public order, and there is need for them to get familiar with Section 24 of the Cyber Crime Act of 2015 in order not to fall victims of cyber stalking, bullying and threats.
Day two of the event exposed Journalists to technology tools to help protect themselves on the job.
Dr. Chinonyelum Nwufoh and Dr.Iheanyi Nwankwo gave practical knowledge on Digital Rights Protection: Basic Online tools and how to set-up the usage of basic online tools.
At the end of the training, participants received certificates, and commended Advocats Sans Frontieres France for the knowledge and new skills acquired, which will no doubt bring about professionalism on the job.
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